What feature causes the wolverine to be an outlier within its immediate Family Mustelidae?
Answer
Its immense size and bulk compared to relatives like ferrets or martens.
While the Family Mustelidae is characterized generally by relatives sharing traits like long, slender bodies and strong musk glands, the wolverine stands out significantly due to its substantial size and bulk. The text explicitly notes that the wolverine is the largest terrestrial mustelid. This significant physical difference contrasts sharply with many of its closer relatives, such as slender members of the *Mustela* genus, martens, or ferrets. Despite these proportional differences, the shared ancestry is still evident through other underlying characteristics linking them back to the Mustelidae family.
Related Questions
Why is the Genus *Gulo* considered monotypic within the Mustelidae family?What is the specific subspecies classification recognized for the wolverine population in North America?What Latin meaning is associated with the genus name *Gulo*?What physical feature defines membership in the Order Carnivora?What defining characteristics place the wolverine within the Class Mammalia?What essential structural element characterizes organisms belonging to the Phylum Chordata?What ecological metric related to snowpack duration is used to indirectly track the health of the *Gulo gulo luscus* population?What evolutionary lineage within *Carnivora* does the wolverine's family, Mustelidae, belong to?What feature causes the wolverine to be an outlier within its immediate Family Mustelidae?What classification status does the Genus *Gulo* share with members of the *Mustela* genus within Mustelidae?